


Wrapped Into One

by DancedWithTheWind



Category: Football RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-21
Updated: 2013-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-05 09:39:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1092408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancedWithTheWind/pseuds/DancedWithTheWind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's almost Christmas, and the radio silence between Marco and him has been killing Mario. Can he get his former best friend and lover to forgive him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrapped Into One

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this little Christmas ficlet =)  
> The song mentioned in the story is Rihanna's "Rehab".

**~~~ Wrapped into One ~~~  
**

I was fiddling with my cell phone, trying to seem interested in the conversation going on around me, but failing miserably. It was the annual DFB Christmas party, and basically every team was expected to show up and celebrate another year of fairness and equality in soccer. I remembered being there last year, I’d had a blast. Which might have been because I had Marco with me. _Marco_. I cringed. Exactly the reason why I couldn’t pay attention right now, even though across from me, Thomas and Jerome were trying to one up another with funny stories.

I sneaked a look at my cell – it was already 8pm – and reminded myself that Pep wouldn’t let anyone get out of attending this function. So surely Kloppo would make all the Dortmund players attend as well, right?  Simply because I hadn’t seen any of them yet, didn’t mean they weren’t still coming. Because as much fun as it was to play and hang out with the guys from Bayern, I missed Marco terribly. I’d really thought that we would manage this long-distance relationship, but I had underestimated how hurt he would be. How betrayed he’d feel.

And then I went and scored the first goal in the match against Dortmund. I tried to hug him after the game, tell him I was sorry, but it was obvious he was in no mood to be near me. Since then, he hadn’t accepted any of my phone calls and only responded to my text messages with monosyllables, if at all.     

I groaned, letting my forehead fall on the table in front me. What a mess! Next to me, Toni started shooting me concerned looks. Uggh. I really started to wish I hadn’t told him about me and Marco. Ever since, he’s been going back and forth between treating me like a fragile doll whenever the subject came up, or making some wise-ass remarks about how I could get Marco back. Like buying handcuffs and whips, chaining myself to Marco’s bed and tell him he can “punish” me.

Even though I’m not really into S&M, I still shivered when I thought of that scenario. I imagined how Marco would stride into the room, coming to a complete halt when he sees me. At first he’s confused, but then he understands what’s happening and his green eyes turn several shades darker. He approaches the bed slowly, kicks of his shoes, and gets on the bed gracefully. He’s leaning above me, his face coming closer to mine, and my heart starts beating like crazy and –

“The hell?!” I shouted at Toni, who had just interrupted my day dream by fisting me into the arm. I rubbed the sore spot, scowling at him. But he was looking at me expectantly, making weird head movements, as if trying to gesture to his right. I looked over his shoulder and I could swear my heart stopped for a moment. Marco had arrived, and was leaning smoothly against the bar at the other end of the hall we were in. He was animatedly talking to Robert, but I didn’t give my former teammate a second glance.

My eyes were glued to Marco, seeing him in real life for the first time since that damnable Dortmund-Bayern match. And boy, did he look handsome. Not having seen him for almost a month had left me unprepared for the onslaught of beauty that he is. His lean body, the close-fitting black clothes he wore, his _face_ …

Knowing that this used to be all mine but I ruined it drew a pained grown from me. I swear, it physically hurt in that moment how much I needed Marco. On my left, Toni was having a laughing fit at my misery which kinda made me snap out of it again. I threw one last glance at Marco, but he was still not looking into my direction. So instead, I decided to take my revenge for earlier, and hit Toni’s arm this time. That at least made him stop laughing, even though he was still wearing an amused grin on his face.

Shaking my head at his antics, I saw Mats passing by our table. I nodded to him and he nodded back, but the look in his eyes was very weird, almost as if he was concocting something again. Suspicious, I watched him pass a couple other tables until he arrived at the corner where the DJ for the evening was situated.

I hadn’t given him much attention until now, as he had been playing rather calm and melodious music at a low level, so as not to disturb the Christmas atmosphere. But Mats now leaned over the console, talking to the DJ, only to leave half a minute later with a satisfied look on his face. I didn’t have to wait long to find out what that was about, as only a short time later, the third version of “Last Christmas” that was played during this evening finally ended.

When the next song started to play, I immediately noticed that the volume had been turned up a notch. The song began with a mix of guitar and piano, and certainly wasn’t the party hit I had expected Mats to request. Instead, I recognized the song as a Rihanna tune. I looked over to Mats, but the defender was staring at Marco. I remembered that Marco used to listen to Rihanna often, so maybe Mats was trying to do him a favour?

But judging by the part guilty, part challenging look that Mats gave Marco and the way Marco stared back at him really angry and also a little sad, there was more to it. I got up from the table and was about to walk over to them to find out what, when Marco turned his head and finally looked at me.

I stopped before even having taken a single step, the weight of his gaze holding me in place more securely than Toni who was tugging at my jacket, trying to hold me back from rushing off head first. But I was unable to move at that moment anyway, as it was an incredibly heady feeling to have the full force of Marco’s attention on me after so much time without any scrap of it.

I was starting to have trouble breathing, the hurt look on Marco’s face was painful, but then I was so glad that he was even looking at me at all. Thank heavens for Rihanna, who actually began to sing now and thus gave me something else to focus on then the desperation in Marco’s eyes.

 

_Baby, Baby, when we first met_

_I never felt something so strong_

_You were like my lover and my best friend_

_All wrapped into one with a ribbon on it_

I think my jaw must have dropped when I realized that Marco must have been listening to that song while thinking about _me._ No wonder Mats had been looking at me so weirdly when he walked past our table. He must have wanted to force a confrontation between Marco and me. I could see that Marco, albeit still angry and sad, now also cracked half a smile, undoubtedly amused by the gobsmacked lock on my face.

 

   
_And all of a sudden, when you left_  

_I didn't know how to follow, it's like a shock_

_That_ _spun me around and now my heart’s dead_

_I feel so empty and hollow_

I swallowed hard when I saw the small smile on Marco’s face disappear. Right. I had left him, had screwed up what we had, and he was still hurting because of it. But so am I, I wanted to scream, so am I and it hurts more than anything else in my life ever has. But all Marco did was tuck his hands in his sleeves, a nervous habit of his, and then cross his arms before his chest as if trying to warn me to stay away. 

 

  _And I'll never give myself to another, the way I gave it to you_

_Don't even recognize the ways you hurt me, do you?_

_It's gonna take a miracle to bring me back_

_And you're the one to blame_

 

I saw the fire burning in Marco’s eyes now, his disappointment with me warring with his anger, and I knew we couldn’t go on like this. I resolutely freed my arm from Toni, who had still been holding on to my wrist – albeit he was now also gaping back and forth between Marco and me – and I started to make my way over to Marco.

He was looking at me warily, but I was determined to not let him get away this time. I motioned to him to take the nearest door to us that would lead us out of the crammed hall, and away from the prying eyes of Mats and Toni and whoever else might have noticed our staring at each other. Luckily, Marco took my cue and followed me out into the corridor that lay behind the door without a fuss.

When I heard the door close behind him, I breathed in deeply a few times, let my eyes adjust to the relatively dark corridor, and then slowly turned around only to find Marco leaning against the huge window pane that made up most of the left corridor wall. His forehead pressed against the glass, he was watching the nightly winter landscape outside, which was admittedly stunning.

Across from the window was a park, where one could make out the shapes of trees and benches, even though everything was covered in a thin layer of snow. The soft orange glowing streetlights that framed the paths were giving off a warm light which was reflected by the surrounding snow. While we had been in the hall, it must have gotten even colder outside, as it was now also actually snowing. A slight wind was blowing through the flakes and creating a lively snow flurry.

But the most beautiful thing of all was the reverent look in Marco’s eyes as he took the scene in. An intense wave of longing for this man swept over me, this man who had always been able to find beauty in the smallest things and then gets lost in his appreciation, even though he is the most precious thing himself. I dug my nails into my hands in order to stop myself from walking the three steps that separate us over to him and slowly but firmly wrap my arms around him so that I can keep him with me forever. Realizing how pathetic my thoughts were becoming, I closed my eyes and exhaled shakily. _Get a grip, boy!_

When I opened my eyes, Marco was no longer looking out of the window but straight at me. I must have been quite the sight, with my hands clutched into fists, my uneven breathing, and the strained look on my face. Marco was frowning at me, but there were specks of warmth in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. I realized it was concern as soon as he started speaking.

“Mario. Are you alright?”

I intended to force a smile on my face and tell him I was fine, but I found that I didn’t have the strength to fake a smile anymore. These last couple of months had demanded every last bit of pretended happiness that I could muster; there simply was no ounce of that fake-smile-supply left now that I was standing in front of the one person whose enforced distance had made me need fake smiles in the first place. So instead of pretending, I simply answered him honestly, with my voice raspy:

“No. I’m not”.

I mustered up all the courage I had left and walked up towards him. He was watching me warily, but he didn’t move away. I took that as an encouraging sign.

“Marco, these last couple of months have been hell. I missed you like crazy.”

I could see that he wanted to protest, wanted to say that it was my fault for leaving, so I continued quickly before I chickened out.

“When I decided to do the transfer, that was the hardest decision of my life. You know I loved Dortmund, and I loved you. And I still do. But Bayern was the chance of a lifetime, a dream come true, and I thought playing for them would help me get over leaving Dortmund. And I thought the two of us would stay in touch; texts, calls, visits…

 I guess I didn’t realize how betrayed you’d feel. That you would stay mad for so long. And I didn’t realize how much it would hurt being so far away from you and not communicating in any way.”

Damn, I felt my voice starting to quiver. Marco was looking at me like he couldn’t decide what to do and I really didn’t want him to see me start crying. So I looked down, and stared at his feet. Shit, he still wasn’t saying anything. I grew more nervous by the second, and that’s when I realized I yet had to apologize to him. So with a courage born out of desperation, I lifted my head and looked into his eyes again.

“I’m sorry, Marco. I’m sorry I left Dortmund. I’m sorry I screwed up our relationship because of a career opportunity. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m so damn sorry – “

My voice broke and I couldn’t get another sound out. I was breathing rapidly and I realized that I had actually started to cry. As embarrassing as that was, at least it softened Marco up. He could never stand to see me upset, and it seemed that now wasn’t an exception. I heard him sigh, then the next thing his arms wrapped around my back and he pulled me towards him gently.

“Shh. It’s gonna be ok. Don’t cry, Mario, please don’t cry.”

Resting my head against his chest, I only started to cry even more. The tenderness of his embrace was so bittersweet, and the feeling of him so close to me was like the first gulp of air for a drowning man. The pain and sadness of those last months, the uncertainty about his feelings, the fear that this hug would be a one-time thing,… it all broke out now.

I shook in his arms with the effort of keeping my crying silent, the tears were bad enough and I didn’t want him to hear me sob, too. His arms started to move up and down my back, and slow movement calmed a little. Breathing in and out, I concentrated on this moment; Marco’s scent filling my nose and his arms wrapped around me. After a while, I reluctantly lifted my head from his chest and tried to discreetly wipe the tear tracks off my cheeks. Hoping to explain that little outburst and restore some of my pride, I told him:

“Sorry for blubbering all over you. It’s just these last months have been kind of extreme. Being on the Bayern team is amazing. I get to play with world class players like Ribery and I learn so much everyday. The only problem is, when I get off the pitch I realize what I don’t have here. The guys are nice, but they’re not you. No one’s like you, and without you there’s this hole in me and it’s been killing me.”

 _Wow. Way to get your manhood back, Mario_. But at least it finally got a response out of Marco, who started pacing angrily in front of me now.

“Why couldn’t you think of that earlier, then? If I’m so special, why did you leave in the first place? Why was I not enough?!”

He yelled that last part and I cringed. Not because of the volume, but because of the desperation in his voice. He had also been blaming _himself_ for my leaving, had started believing that he was somehow _inadequate_. I could see his eyes misting over, and the anger that had been rolling off of him in waves was now reduced to a dim blaze. However, I was getting angry now, at him and at myself. _How in the world_ could he believe he wasn’t enough for me? Had I done so little to convince him of my love?

“Marco.”

He must have sensed my temper, because he immediately ceased his pacing. I deliberately walked up to him and was a little satisfied to see his eyes widen at whatever he read in my face. He even retreated two steps until his back hit the window. I stopped an inch away from him and looked into his eyes, while he was staring back at me defiantly. To make my point, I took his hands into mine.

At first, he struggled and tried to get me to let go, but I held on. I had tried rational talking, I had (involuntarily) tried tears, what I had left now was romance. _It’s time for the big guns, Mario._ I lifted his hands and kissed first his right hand, then his left hand.

“Marco.”

I said again, this time with a much softer voice.  I could tell I had already thrown him off a little, he hadn’t expected this. Well, I would be going to whatever lengths necessary to make him forgive me and get rid of the ridiculous thought that he wasn’t enough for me.

“I was stupid. I knew I loved you, but I didn’t know how much I needed you until I had left Dortmund. I agreed to the transfer because it was a huge chance and I thought the two of us would surely make it work out. Leaving didn’t have anything to do with you not being enough; if anything, it was because I took our relationship for granted, and I shouldn’t have. Because you are the most important thing in my life.”

I could see Marco’s eyes getting bigger and bigger. I squeezed his hand and smiled; I wasn’t done yet.

“Marco, you’re more than enough for me. You’re more than I’ll ever deserve. You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever met- “ I winked at him, and did I see a blush forming on his face? “and you are the best friend I’ve ever had. I need you in my life again, Marco.”

I took the last possible step towards him, so that our chests were touching when we breathed in.  
“I need the touch of my lover.” I stroked my fingertips over his arm, and he sucked in a breath.

“And I need some quality time with my best friend.” I laid my hand over his heart and felt it pound rapidly.

“So I’m asking you again: Please forgive me, Marco.”

He swallowed, and I could see a war going on behind his eyes. Finally, he started to speak:

“No one ever hurt me as much as you did. I don’t know why it hurt so much; maybe because I was completely blindsided by the news of your transfer, or because I had gotten so used to having you around. But suddenly you were gone and you left me behind broken. I was so mad at you for leaving, and I wouldn’t let myself be not mad, because as soon as the anger would leave, I would get so damn sad. And it’s been half a year now, but life still sucks without you.”

Okay, his face was cautiously neutral while saying this, but at least he was opening up.

“I guess I miss you too, sunny.” He added, his lips forming a slight grin. _Sunny._ I felt a shiver going down my spine.

“I missed you calling me that.” I whispered and closed my eyes. His hands pushed and then pulled at my chest and when I opened my eyes, he had switched our positions.

I was now leaning against the window and Marco stood in front of me, a predatory expression on his face. Half turned on and half scared by this, I unconsciously pressed closer against the window at my back which caused Marco to raise an eyebrow at me, amusement glittering in his eyes. He leaned closer to me and I swear my breath stopped for a moment.

“I would have called you anything you wanted, every day, sunny.” He murmured silkily into my ear. “But it was your decision to leave, so don’t expect any pity from me.” He moved his head in front of mine again, his lips ghosting over my cheek in the process.

I wanted to tell him that I didn’t need him to pity me, as long as he forgave me, but my brain had melted from being so close to him. The only thing I could still think of saying was:

“Marco”. It came out uneven and breathless, but I was too far gone to be embarassed as Marco had now started to run his hands up and down my sides.

“What is it, Mario?” He asked innocently, and began to press little kisses against my neck.

“Please.” I croaked, fisting my hands into his shirt and pulling him even closer. “Kiss me.”

“As you wish,” was all the warning I got and then his lips were finally on mine. A shudder passed through both of us and someone let out a strangled moan. I felt Marco’s lips smile against mine, so I guess that sound must have come from me. _Whoops_. But by now Marco’s tongue was sliding over my lips and I couldn’t really bring myself to care anymore.

I opened my mouth to him and was swept away by a flood of emotions that made me feel as adrift as the snowflakes that were swirling around outside. My right arm twined around Marco’s waist, trying to press him to me even closer, and my left hand rose to his face. Oh, how good it felt to finally touch his high cheekbones again, to run my hand through his glorious hair. Marco began kissing me in earnest now, taking and giving in equal part, but with so much bottled up pain and need behind it that I started to feel dizzy. I was suddenly immensely glad to have the window at my back, as my knees were actually becoming wobbly.

Kissing Marco after such a long time of no contact was the most exhilarating feeling imaginable. Want and need were coursing through me, but also a giddy relief and happiness. During the months of our separation, I had begun fearing that I would never get to kiss Marco again, and yet I had been craving his touch so badly. And now here we were, holding on to each other so tightly that we were all but wrapped into one, and kissing without abandon.

Anxious to get even closer to him, I started tugging at Marco’s shirt; sadly the action must have brought him back to his senses, as he now slowed the kiss. I whined against his lips, not ready for this to end yet. Marco chuckled softly and pecked me a few more times. Then we came to a rest with our foreheads against each other, both of us breathing heavily.

That’s when it started to sink it: I had actually kissed Marco! He had talked to me, he had hugged me, and yes, he was probably still mad, but it finally seemed as if there was still a chance for us. If I hadn’t misread the situation, that was, I realized startled. He was still right in front of me with his eyes closed, and he looked so beautiful that I didn’t want to disturb this moment. But I needed to know where we stood, that this hadn’t been a fluke, that we wouldn’t go back to ignoring each other.

“Marco,” I whispered. His eyes stayed closed. “What does this mean?”

He stiffened a little, opened his eyes and stood up straight. He had a pensive look on his face, but his voice sounded defeated when he answered me.

“I don’t know, Mario. What do you want me to say? I didn’t come here expecting to make out with you. I don’t know what this is supposed to accomplish.”

“I didn’t expect to make out with you either. But I’m so glad we did. Not only because I missed kissing you like crazy, but also because this makes me think that you haven’t given up on us completely,” I said tentatively. “And I understand if you can’t forgive me yet, but maybe you’re ready to give me a second chance? To let me show you how important you are to me? Because you always have been, and always will be, and being in Munich hasn’t changed a thing about that.”

I looked deep into his eyes, willing him to believe me. When his eyes softened and started to crinkle around the edges, and he let out a sigh, I knew I had convinced him.

“You being in Munich actually did change a lot of things. But my feelings for you haven’t changed, and yours apparently haven’t either. It is almost Christmas, so I guess we deserve some happiness. And I’m also just really tired of missing you and being mad at you.” He smiled at me, and lifted his hand to softly caress my jaw. I raised my hand to cover his, and, by turning my head just a fraction, to press a little kiss to it.

“I’m glad to hear that.” I told him, my voice sounding rough. And by the stars, how glad I was. Now that Marco gave us another chance, a huge weight was lifted from me that had been slowly smothering me ever since I’ve left Dortmund.

Tugging on his arm to bring him up next to me, I now leaned into Marco; placing my head against his chest and wrapping my right arm around his back. He slung his left arm over my shoulder and laid his cheek on my head. We were facing the huge window and simply watched the snow flakes dance and twirl outside. The perfection of the moment urged me to finally tell him something he hadn’t wanted to hear those last couple months but that I needed to remind him of now. Tightening my hold on him, I whispered:

“I love you, Marco.”

“I know.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “I love you, too.”

And as a strange but beautiful feeling spread through me, I needed a moment to actually recognize what it was: utter and complete peacefulness.

 

  

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Meanwhile outside in the fest hall:

“It’s 9:15, time to pay up!” Mats told Toni smugly, the two of them situated at the bar from where they had a good view on the door Mario and Marco had left through.

“Damn, I really didn’t think they would stay in there for over an hour! What is taking them so long? Should we go check on them?” Toni whined, reluctantly taking out his wallet.

“Oh, Toni,” a grinning Mats tutted. “You obviously never were around those two when they were together. Our golden boys used to be joined at the hip, and always so nauseatingly happy and all over each other.” Mats grabbed a 10€ bill out of Toni’s hands, and continued in a satisfied tone.

“And after making up from a fight, it was even worse than usual. Let me tell you, the team had to learn the hard way to never barge into either of their rooms without explicit knocking. I remember this one time, we were having a party at Lewi’s, and….”

 

 

 

   


**Author's Note:**

> There you have it. Merry Christmas, everyone!


End file.
